I Love You So I May As Well Say So
by huffleclaw22
Summary: It started out as a simple thank-you peck on the cheek that sparked Neville's crush on a certain blonde Hufflepuff, but as the years progressed...it turned into so much more, and maybe she even likes him back now.


**a/n: JKR is super epic and she owns everything in Potterverse because she's a genius!**

* * *

_It had only been one kiss. Not even on the lips, just a peck on the cheek. It was a passionate peck, there was no denying, but it wasn't as if they had 'made out' or 'snogged'. After all, they had only been third years, and no one was ever supposed to find out. They were the only people who would ever know what happened that day when the Great Hall was deserted...them and perhaps the ghosts, that is._

* * *

_1993 (3rd year) (FLASHBACK)_

_Neville Longbottom woke up late...again! He practically raced downstairs, only to find that the Great Hall seemed to be completely empty. This of course indicated that he'd missed breakfast, and his stomach let out a loud growl. _

_"Damnit," he grumbled to himself, looking out the windows to see his yearmates playing in the courtyard. He decided to enter the large and deserted room anyways, see if he couldn't scope out any crumbs or left behind food scraps near the Gryffindor table. He knew Ron was a messy eater, perhaps he'd left him some._

_Just then, he heard a sniffling sound. It sounded like someone's muffled sobbing, a girl's to be more specific. Most of the guys in his year would have just laughed and rolled their eyes, or perhaps teased said girl for crying alone in the empty Great Hall, but this was not Neville's style to do such a thing._

_His gran had taught him to be a gentlemen, and to always assist a 'damsel in distress' as she'd called it. Neville knew that his gran would want him to go and comfort the girl...even if she was a Slytherin, and Merlin did he hope she wasn't. The last thing he was in the mood to do was have his arm around pugfaced Pansy Parkinson._

_As he crept around the tables, he was relieved to see that it was just Hannah Abbott. She sort of had a reputation for crying alot, some of the other students referred to her as 'Sniffles' and the 'Hogwarts Crybaby', it was really only the Slytherins and some of the Gryffindors who called her this._

_Neville silently wondered where Ernie MacMillan and Susan Bones, Hannah's best friends, were and why they weren't here comforting her. He sighed and slowly shuffled over to sit down on the floor next to her. "Er...you okay?" he stuttered, placing his hand ever so gently on her shoulder._

_Hannah slowly looked up at him, and sniffed loudly, wiping her face on her robes. "N-No. I-I'm not okay. E-Everyone is s-so mean to me!" she managed to choke out._

_Neville shrugged and decided to try out some of the boldness he'd always practiced in front of the mirror. "Not everyone, I'm sitting here because I wanted to see if you were alright, that's not mean...that-that's nice," he told her. He needed to learn how to talk to girls, and he knew Hannah of all people would be the last to judge or make fun of him. _

_Hannah sniffed again and caught her breath. She seemed shocked that he'd been so bold about it. "I-I wasn't talking about you, Neville. I-I mean some of the others, everyone is t-teasing me because of my stupid theory that Sirius Black is a flowering shrub!" she explained._

_Neville nodded, he remembered that theory floating around in Herbology, and some of the Slytherins giving Hannah shit over it. "O-Oh. Is it mostly the Slytherins? I actually thought that was a pretty good explanation, as a fellow lover of plants," he said._

_Hannah's eyes widened. "Yes it was, a-and...you did?" she asked timidly yet curiously._

_Neville grinned nervously. "Er...yeah. I-I did. It's not a stupid theory, Hannah. People only think it's weird because they're jealous that they aren't good at Herbology like you are. They're envious that Hufflepuffs are so good at Herbology. It's like the Slytherins in Potions, everyone hates them because they're so good and Snape favors them. Jealousy can make people act really mean, you know," he replied._

_Hannah was biting a loose strand of her long honey blonde hair. "Well that's a good explanation, and it would work too, except some of my friends in Hufflepuff are even teasing me for it. Ernie MacMillan said it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever said, and that I've said some pretty ridiculous things, it hurt my feelings," she told him._

_Neville bit his lip, he had no idea how to fix this now. He decided to say how he really felt, and prayed that Hannah wouldn't take offense. "I mean, Ernie kinds thinks he knows everything though, doesn't he? Maybe he's jealous that he didn't come up with it first. He's a bit of a showoff after all, maybe he feels like you stole his thunder," he said with a shrug._

_Hannah nodded and wiped her eyes. "Maybe that's it," she agreed._

_Neville flashed her a soft grin. "Probably. Er...are you feeling better yet? I'm starving because I missed breakfast so I actually came in here looking for scraps, but if you'd like to take a walk around the courtyard before Charms I'd be up for that..." he stuttered out his offer._

_Hannah smiled shyly. "Thanks Neville, you're a real gentlemen," she said quietly, softly pecking the side of his face. "I've actually got to go finish my Potions essay, sorry, see you around," she added, grabbing her books and leaving him sitting dumbfounded on the floor of the deserted Great Hall._

_Neville's hand flew to the side of his face. 'Blazing balls of Merlin, I've been kissed by a girl!'. It was then that he developed his desperately passionate crush on Hannah Abbott. She'd kissed him once, now he wanted more._

* * *

_1998 (7th year)_

If asked years ago to lead the DA-also known as the Hogwarts Resistance Effort and Dumbledore's Army, Neville Longbottom would have said no, no, and definitely not. But things had changed, the Second Wizarding War was in full swing, and with the Golden Trio off looking for horcruxes...it was up to him to be the fearless leader, a role he never thought he'd have to play.

He shocked himself sometimes at the things he got himself into. There was only one logical explanation for his sudden fearlessness, the reason that the lion finally came out of it's six years cage was... Hannah Abbott.

Sure he longed to be a hero and live up to the likes of Harry Potter and friends, but it was mostly his desperate desire to get Hannah to notice him that caused him to lash out and mouth off to the Carrows. She did notice, too. Sometimes he swore he caught her looking at him, and then she'd turn away blushing and giggling with Susan Bones.

It made his heart flutter. Yet it also infuriated him that all she ever did was look at him, those quick glimpses of her bright amber eyes simply weren't enough. He wanted her to love him as much as he loved her. He wanted so badly to kiss her again, like that time in third year, but this one would be on the lips and perhaps followed by something more.

On this particular stormy night in January, he got his wish. He'd asked Alecto Carrow if she'd ever f*cked a muggle, and earned a full twenty minutes of the Cruciatus Curse in detention. He'd asked such a question in hopes of really shocking Hannah, it was the boldest thing he could think of doing and he was ready to give up and accept the fact that the goregous badger goddess would never be his.

Now, tired and bruised, he shuffled into the Room of Requirement. It seemed to be deserted, all the cots were empty on the front side of the room, and there was a roaring fire blazing and crackling in the fireplace. As he made his way to the back side of the room towards his own caught, he spotted a girl reading a magazine in her own cot.

This girl just so happened to be Hannah Abbott. She looked over as she'd heard his footsteps, and seeing the state he was in, rushed over to help him. "Neville! Oh Merlin's beard! Are you okay?" she asked, panicked, as she helped him down onto his cot.

"Ow! No. No I'm not. Carrow put me under the Cruciatus for a whole twenty minutes! Ow Hannah you're hurting me..." Neville moaned in pure agony as he was shifted onto his back. For a second he was almost angry at her...she was the reason he kept earning himself all these detentions, yet she still didn't recognize it.

"I'm sorry! Oh Merlin I'm sorry. Here...er...let me go and get some dittany," Hannah stuttered, running back across the room to her cot and shuffling through her trunk. Once she'd found what she was looking for, she ran back and sat down beside him with a small bottle of dittany.

Neville looked up into her sweet amber eyes, and he knew he couldn't be angry with her, she'd been through so much in the past year and she was still the girl he loved so well. She was the girl he'd take a Cruciatius for anyday. He smiled and tried not to let her see him wincing in pain as she applied the dittany to his various cuts.

"Y-You're good at this, Hannah," he commented as soon as she'd finished.

"Er thanks, my Mum taught me. She was a Healer before she d-d...nevermind," Hannah cut herself off and turned away, fighting back tears.

"It's still too soon, I know. We don't have to talk about it," Neville said, soothingly rubbing circles on her back.

"What did you want to talk about then, Neville?" Hannah asked him, looking down into his face curiously.

Now was his chance, and he decided to take it. "Do you remember when you kissed me?" he blurted out. The look that came across Hannah's face made him immediately regret it.

Shockingly, Hannah smiled and blushed. "Yes I remember, it was in third year because you comforted me about the flowering shrub thing," she replied with a slight giggle. Looking back on it, she'd realized how stupid her theory now was.

Neville grinned. "Hannah I really need to tell you something, but please don't slap me, I'm in so much pain already," he said.

Hannah giggled. "Okay I won't slap you, what is it?" she asked.

"I love you," Neville admitted with a sheepish look.

Hannah's eyes widened again, and then she held an expression that looked like a mix between happy and relieved. "Oh Neville, that's...that's..." she stuttered. Neville didn't know what was going to happen next, but he didn't have alot of time to think about it, because Hannah kissed him again. This time it wasn't just a peck on the side of his face, but she was snogging him on the lips, and he was snogging her back.

"I love you too," Hannah breathed as they took a break before going back to snogging.

Neville had finally won the girl of his dreams, those four agonizing years of watching her on the sidelines were well worth the wait.


End file.
